Gas prices in the San Luis Obispo metro area are currently the highest in California, according to data from AAA.
An average gallon of regular gas reached $5.82 on Tuesday — a full 31 cents higher than the state average, and 11 cents higher than the second most expensive metro area: San Francisco.
Gas prices across the country have spiked by more than a dollar since late February, when the United States launched attacks on Iran, destabilizing the global oil market.
“The main reason is higher crude oil prices,” said Kandace Redd, a spokesperson for AAA. “As we know, when oil goes up, gas prices usually follow.”
But before the current war and conflict over the Strait of Hormuz began, gas prices in the San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles metro area were already notably high.
At this time last year, the region also won the prize of highest gas prices in California.
What makes the San Luis Obispo area unique?
One factor could be geography.
San Luis Obispo is especially far from any of the state’s major oil refineries, according to a list from the California Energy Commission.
Another factor might be the same reason that so many things in this region are expensive.
“You have to think about the cost of living,” Redd told KCBX. “You have to think about that higher rent, the wages, the operating costs for gas stations that are often passed on to drivers.”
Redd says gas stations near highways and tourist destinations also tend to charge more.
It’s possible that a combination of geographic isolation and higher costs is pushing our region to the top of the charts.
One important note is that this data only covers the San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles metro area.
On the county level, Mono County is currently at the top of the list, where an average gallon of regular gas costs $6.70.
“A lot of people are really trying to find out exactly when they can start to get some sort of relief at the pump,” Redd added. “It really just depends on how long tensions in the Middle East last and how oil markets respond.”
